Shaheen Welcomes U.S. TRANSCOM General Randall Reed to Pease Air National Guard Base, Following First Overseas Deployment of the KC-46
(Portsmouth, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, visited the Pease Air National Guard Base with the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), General Randall Reed. The visit is General Reed’s first to the Pease Air National Guard Base and comes after Shaheen extended an invitation during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in March. During the visit, Shaheen and Reed received an outbrief of the 157th's successful deployment to the Middle East – the first-ever KC-46 overseas deployment – and met with Base leadership, including Major General David Mikolaities, to discuss the157th Air Refueling Wing’s essential role in global TRANSCOM operations. You can view photos from the visit here.
“I was glad to welcome General Reed to the Granite State to see first-hand the essential role that New Hampshire’s 157th Air Refueling Wing plays in maintaining our national security, especially after their return from the first-ever overseas KC-46 deployment,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’ll continue working to support the service members at Pease Air National Guard Base, including by ensuring they have the personnel and resources required to maintain and support their exceptional record of service. I look forward to working with General Reed to do just that.”
In response to strong advocacy by Shaheen, Pease was selected as the Air Force’s first Air National Guard KC-46 main operating base. The KC-46 replaces the Air Force’s 1950’s-era aerial refueling fleet of KC-135s and will serve as the backbone of American air operations for decades to come. The last KC-135 departed Pease in March 2019 to make way for the KC-46. Shaheen participated in the arrival event for the first KC-46 to Pease in August that same year. In 2021, Shaheen attended the ceremony for the delivery of the 12th and final KC-46 refueling tanker to be stationed at the Pease. In September 2024, Shaheen attended the sendoff ceremony for the first-ever deployment of the KC-46 squadron to U.S. Central Command.
Shaheen has continued to support the members of the New Hampshire National Guard, including by pressing the National Guard Bureau to exempt New Hampshire from any changes to its personnel who operate and maintain the KC-46. Due to Shaheen’s advocacy, the Guard Bureau granted New Hampshire an extension to implement the policy. The FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included a provision from Shaheen that would require the Guard Bureau to grant a similar extension to any state who requests one, and report to Congress on any operational impact of future force re-leveling.
Shaheen has also been a fierce advocate for ensuring the KC-46's Remote Vision System (RVS) stays on schedule and keeps the KC-46 fully operational. This has ensured that the New Hampshire National Guard’s full fleet of tankers can fly real-world missions.
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